Efficacy of Oral Tobacco Products Compared to a Medicinal Nicotine

Oral Tobacco as a Harm Reduction Product: Study 2 - Efficacy of Oral Tobacco Products Compared to Medicinal Nicotine for Complete Cigarette Substitution and Among Non-abstainers, for Reduction in Cigarette Smoking

For the primary goals, we hypothesize that 1) the oral tobacco product will be more efficacious than the medicinal nicotine product in substituting for smoking cigarettes; 2) among non-abstainers, the oral tobacco product will lead to greater reduction in cigarette smoking than medicinal nicotine; and 3) a higher rate of oral tobacco compared to medicinal nicotine use will be observed during and beyond the treatment period.

For the secondary goals, we hypothesize that 1) both products will equally reduce withdrawal symptoms from cigarette abstinence; and 2) the toxicant exposure and toxicity will be reduced dramatically when smokers switch from cigarettes to each of these products; however, this reduction will be greater with the use of medicinal nicotine.

This second study under "Oral Tobacco as a Harm Reduction Product" grant is a clinical trial. Subjects will be randomized to the brand of smokeless tobacco that is determined to be most effective in Study 1 or to nicotine gum for 12 weeks to compare complete substitution for smoking. The secondary aims are to determine the effects of the products on biomarkers of exposure and toxicity. Other secondary aim includes examining the effects of the two products on withdrawal symptoms. Two sites will be used for these studies: University of Minnesota and Oregon Research Institute (ORI).

Inclusion Criteria:

• smoking at least 10 cigarettes daily for the past year,
• in good physical health (no unstable medical condition;
• no contraindications for medicinal nicotine, as appropriate for the study, stable, good mental health (e.g., no recent unstable or untreated psychiatric diagnosis, including substance abuse, as determined by the DSM-IV criteria).

Exclusion Criteria:

Subjects must not be currently using other tobacco or nicotine products; Female subjects cannot be pregnant or nursing.